Haga's Explanation of MarySues and GaryStus
by May Never Know
Summary: A short explanation-type fic with my favorite character discussing Sueism with another character that I've grown to like. Criticizes characters in both canon and in fanon. Digs deep into the concept of a Mary-Sue or a Gary-Stu. Sort've a 3-part drabble.
1. Intro: The Painful Truth

A/N: Yes. I know I haven't updated my other stories in a while. But, for goodness' sakes, I have been reading WAY too many fanfics pairing one of my favorite characters with mary-sues. So, I wrote this. Even though the character I'm thinking of has nothing to do with this fandom, this was just something I needed to get out of my system. So, here we have it. Haga's view on Yugi and on Sueism overall. Oh. And, as expected, the fourth wall is going to be broken, burned, and utterly destroyed in this fic. Enjoy. ^^

**Disclaimer:** None of the characters belong to me. All of them belong to the makers of the "Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters" anime.

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Haga's Explanation of Mary-Sue's and Gary-Stu's

A girl stepped upon the sidewalk of Domino City. She couldn't have been older than twelve or thirteen. What was her name? It was Rebecca. Rebecca Hopkins. She continued waving her hand in the air at a certain someone. She was trying to get that certain someone's attention.

"Hey! Yuugi! I wanted to tell you something! Would you mind-"

"Uh, hi, Rebecca. Listen, Anzu just told me the funniest story. One of her friends went to a restaurant and, it's so funny, they-"

"Sorry, Rebecca." Anzu interjected hurriedly. "Yuugi and I have to go to the mall to go shopping with a friend. And we're running late! Yugi can tell you about the story some other time."

Rebecca pouted.

"But, _Yuugi_! I want to talk you, _now_! Don't-"

"Sorry. I have to run, Rebecca. Bye!" And before the girl could stop him, he just started running off with Anzu. _Anzu_. _That_ Anzu.

"Grrr…" Rebecca scowled, looking away. "Yuugi _always_ spends _so_ much time with _Anzu_! He _never_ pays any attention to me!" The girl hopelessly kicked a rock and sent it scuttling across the sidewalk. It bounced off of a boy's shoe. The boy was sitting on a bench at a bus stop. A book was wedged between his fingers, covering his face. From behind the book, he snickered. It was a high-pitched, record-scratched, snicker.

"Sounds like _one_ young lady around here is a bit…jealous." He raised an eyebrow. Every tone of his utterance suggested a smirk playing upon his lips.

Rebecca whirled around to look at him.

"_What_?! I don't know what you're _talking_ about, _Freak_." It was clear she was in a bad mood.

The boy lowered his book to reveal an insectile appearance. Aqua-marine hair with the smooth texture of water, frozen blue eyes, and large glasses jumped out at average passersby. And he was adjusting those glasses as his eyes were fixed upon Rebecca.

"Miss Hopkins, there's really no need to be so rude. You can admit it. I _know_ I'm not mistaken, as I'm quite familiar with the emotion of jealousy. And it's in your eyes, my girl. It _really_ is." The boy let out another snicker.

"I don't know what you're-" Then, Rebecca blinked. "Wait…You're Insector Haga! I watched you on TV, a year ago. You're the Japanese national champion, aren't you?" She gasped.

"Ah!" Haga let out a bitter cackle. "I'm glad to see my short legacy is still remembered _somewhat_..."

"Who could forget _that_ face?"

"Grr…" Haga stood up, stuffing the book half-way into his pocket. "_Still_ so rude, my girl? You act like you're just _itching_ to be fed to my…pets." He snarled, eyes slits.

Rebecca scowled.

"You can't scare me, Bug Boy. My friend Yuugi will come and rescue me…unless…unless…" Her face fell.

Haga's expressions changed as well – This time, to a knowing smile.

"Unless he's too busy with…?"

"Too busy with _Anzu_." Rebecca spat.

"Yes," Haga nodded knowingly. "So, what are you going to do about it, Miss Hopkins?"

"Hrm…I don't know…I mean-" She blinked suddenly.

"What?"

"Wait a minute. How do you know my name?"

"Why, Miss Rebecca Hopkins, you _are_ the American National Champion! I make It a point to do research on my…" A smirk crept across his face. "Competition." Haga reached a hand out. "Pleasure to meet you."

"Uh, can't say I feel the same, but hi." Rebecca reluctantly shook his hand and wiped it off on her skirt almost immediately afterwards.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk…" Haga frowned. "Rude, rude, _rude_! For goodness' sake, Miss Hopkins, I thought you and I were equals, but now, I must admit, I'm starting to think _otherwise_." He sighed. It was not obvious to Rebecca at the time, but Haga was trying subtle methods to butter her up. "But, anyway, what are you going to do to make Yuugi notice you?"

"What do _you_ care?"

"I'm curious. And bored. Very, _very_, bored. And, besides, the rock you kicked was what jerked my mind out of my book. So, therefore, it is your obligation to keep me entertained for a while."

"And if I don't?"

"Well, I'll just have to follow you around for a bit. It will help me relieve boredom to breath down your neck for the time being." He laughed.

This very notion gave Rebecca shivers. She sighed.

"Fine. Actually…" She thought about it. "Maybe, you could help me?"

"How so?"

"Well…You hate Yuugi, right?"

"Very true. And?"

"And, so…Yuugi must hate you, right?"

"Er…"

"So, I want you to go on a date with me at the mall so that we can make Yugi jealous! It'll be really easy, since you two are enemies. So, what do you say? I'll give you a rare card!"

There was a long, empty, pause in the street drenched by overcast grey light. Finally, someone spoke. It was Haga.

"Er, Rebecca, that won't work."

"Why not?"

"It is virtually impossible for Yuugi to get jealous of _anyone_. Actually, I must correct you on a previous assumption: He doesn't even _hate_ me! It's impossible for him to _hate_ anyone, really!" Haga was laughing, quite good-naturedly actually. Few people could tell the difference between his laughs, though. To most, he always sounded mocking.

So, it was Rebecca's immediate response to pout angrily.

"Why _not_? I mean, I sort've understand about the hate thing. 'Hate' is a strong word. But, come on…_Everyone_ gets _jealous_!"

Haga thought for a moment. He had expected such a response, but now he had to respond to it. He put on a crooked smile.

"You…really don't know. Do you?"

"Know what?"

"My _dear_ girl…" He shook his head with the crooked smile still on. "Yuugi is a Gary-Stu."

-

A/N: And so ends the intro. This is going to be a three-part explanation on Sues, both for canon and for fanfiction, though the former more than the latter. :) It's going to explore deeply into the concept of what a Sue is as well as other types of Sues that rarely get addressed in explanations like these. Because, apparently, Haga is knowledgeable in this matter as a minor character who is able to view other characters from an outside-POV.

Oh, and...If anyone is angry at me for saying that Yuugi's a Stu, just accept the truth: He is. I'm not bashing him. Heck, I even like him a little bit. I'm just stating the truth. And I'll back up my point in Part 2. :)


	2. Part 2: The Argument

A/N: We left off with our main subject Haga breaking the news to Rebecca that her crush – Yuugi Mutou – is a Gary-Stu. Let's see what conversation occurs next…

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Part 2: The Argument

"Uh, what?" For all her intelligence, the duel monsters prodigy didn't seem to get it.

"Ugh…" Haga kneaded his brow. For a moment, he wondered what he'd gotten himself into. The poor boy would have to explain a literary term to a girl who'd probably never even acknowledge what her crush really _was_. Oh, well. He was bored, he decided. "A _Gary-Stu_…My girl, do you at least know what a _Mary-Sue_ is?" He was hoping that she would, as these tend to be more well-known, for one reason or another.

"Er, isn't it a character or something who's basically perfect?" Rebecca, thinking about it, had heard the term used for a seemingly perfect character from some movie she'd liked. Then, in her now calmer state, it hit her: "And would you quit calling me your girl, already?!" A vein was pulsing in her forehead.

"Oh, that…" Haga laughed. "Ah, sorry. Haha." He didn't want to get on her bad side, right now. For the time being, she was the source of his entertainment.

"That's okay." Rebecca sighed, arms crossed.

Haga nodded before clearing his throat.

"But, yes, you're basically right. A Mary-Sue is a fictional character who is, by definition, infallible and so overly loved by the creator that the writer often decorates this character with embellishments and so much stereotypical 'awesomeness' that, before long, the character begins to lose his or her flaws and individualities so that he or she becomes generic – stuck in the same box as all the other 'Sues and 'Stus. Often times, the Sue is a glorified or 'improved' version of the writer, so that the writer's stories become fantasies of wish-fulfillment. This usually causes the plot to drag on or be ignored, so that a reader is given the impression that the character is just so great that there is no need for an actual story to take attention away. Such characters are most…Er, Miss Hopkins?" The girl's eyes were swirling behind half-moon spectacles and Haga let out a ragged sigh before snapping his fingers in front of her face repeatedly. "…Hopkins? Er, _Rebecca_…" He suddenly got an idea. "_**My girl**_?"

"_Don't_ call me that!" Rebecca was to her senses immediately, with a scowl on her face.

"Hopkins, did you understand a single word of what I just said?" Haga asked, a bit frustrated.

"Well…" Sighed Rebecca. "I think I followed up until 'wish-fulfillment'."

"Gah!" Haga facepalmed. "This…may take some doing…" He shook his head. "Why don't we sit down, Miss Hopkins?" And they both walked over and sat down on the bench that Haga had been using before the conversation began. "All right. You've heard a decent amount. I'll make the rest of this easy for you. So, you get the basic idea of what a Mary-Sue is, right?"

"Mm-hm." Rebecca nodded, smiling. "An infallible character that's overly glorified and made to look like a perfect person by the writer. Can also be an improved or ideal version of the creator. Gets annoying. Got it." She grinned proudly, like an obedient student.

"Yes…" Haga nodded with approval. "Very good, Hopkins…"

"Call me Rebecca."

"Oh…kay, then." Haga rubbed the back of his neck. He hoped that this girl had finally made up her mind on whether or not she wanted to be referred to informally or formally. Now, he just sighed and nodded at her. "Okay, so since you know what a Mary-Sue is, now, it'll be easy for you to understand: A Gary-Stu is just the same as a Mary-Sue, but male instead. They aren't as well-known, but there are plenty of them. Yuugi is just one example."

"Yuugi's not a Gary-Stu." Rebecca immediately replied, the faint, defensive prickles sticking up in her voice.

"Um…" Haga blinked. He'd thought that he and Rebecca had been on the same page. But, then it dawned on him: Rebecca could not accept that her crush was a Gary-Stu. To accept this was to accept that Yuugi was an example of bad writing. A tacky cliché. An overly glorified entity. An infallible being that could never really _exist_ in the real world. Realizing this, Haga decided to try to reason with Rebecca as gently as possible, to keep this from turning into a shouting match. "Oh…kay." He took a deep, cleansing, breath. "Then, tell me, Rebecca, what flaws does he have?" Gentle, gentle, he reminded himself.

"Well, er…" Rebecca knew that flaws were important for making a character interesting and original. So, she knew she'd have to do her best to find as many flaws in Yuugi as possible in order to convince Haga that her sweet-heart was not a Gary-Stu. "Well, he's way too trusting…"

"I won't argue with that." The insect duelist laughed. It had been such a glorious moment when he had so skillfully tricked Yuugi into letting him hold those most precious Exodia cards. Of course, it didn't take much. Haga had to admit it: His greatest rival was terribly naïve.

"He's a real push-over…" She added.

"Yes. However, the way the writer's world _reacts_ to this is unrealistic. It is interpreted as 'being nice'. Also, do we ever see anyone taking advantage of his kindness?" He asked.

"Uhh…I guess not…" Rebecca frowned. "Not that I can remember…"

"No. No, we don't. I took advantage of his overly trusting attitude, but not his kindness." He sighed. "You see, in order for a flaw to truly make a character more interesting, that flaw must be given the chance to manifest itself so that it doesn't become completely irrelevant! For example, say a character is the head doctor at a prestigious medical institution. So what if he or she can't dance? That's not a flaw! Doctors don't usually have to dance. Now, a doctor who loves to help people, but can't stand the sight of blood – _that_ is a flaw." Haga explained. "Also, a non-dancing doctor who, in the story, finds him or herself in the predicament where he or she must dance to save a patient – don't ask me how that would work – could also legitimize their flaw. It's all in the writing, Rebecca."

"Ohhh! I see! So, since it doesn't become a problem, it's not really a flaw!" Rebecca smiled in accomplishment at her understanding.

"Yes…" Haga nodded. "And, in Yugi's case, his 'push-overness' doesn't really seem to get in the way that much. In fact, it earned him two friends when he put himself between a bully and the two guys who just threw his puzzle piece into the water…And didn't earn him a one-way trip to the E.R." He chuckled dryly.

"Oh…Er…Well…Yugi's bullied a lot! It's a flaw because it's funny." Rebecca stated stubbornly.

"Rebecca, he's bullied no more than any other short, spiky-haired goody-goody who ever walked through the hall way. It's like saying that a human character is flawed because he or she cannot fly." He waved both of his hands like wings, to make a point. "If a character has a flaw that simply makes sense for their situation, then it's really not much of a flaw. Especially when it's not _his own fault that he's bullied_. And, about it being funny…" Haga frowned. "Not everyone thinks of bullying as being funny. In fact, from an outside point of view, most fans sympathize with Yugi and don't think of it as funny at all. In fact, it can simply be a device used by the writer to garner sympathy from the audience."

He then sighed and adjusted his glasses.

"Especially since anyone can be bullied. Nice people, mean people, attractive people, ugly people…Take me, for example. I'm often bullied. Normally, it wouldn't be a flaw. But, because of the _reasons_ I'm bullied – negativity and inability to keep my mouth shut about what I think of other people – it really is a flaw because _it's my own fault_. That's another thing. For a character to be flawed, it has to be their _own_ shortcomings or mistaken actions that support the flaw. Or, at the very least, it has to be part of their own character, like appearance. For example, if a character is hated by everyone around them for lying, unattractiveness, and being inconsiderate of other peoples' feelings, then that person has flaws. But, if just about everyone around a character hates them out of jealousy or natural prejudice regarding their appearance, background, merits, special abilities, etcetera, then it's not a flaw. It's just a semi-realistic world with an unrealistic character."

"Oh…I see what you mean…" Rebecca sighed. She followed, this time. "I…I just realized, I can't believe I actually said that his being bullied was _funny_."

"It's understandable. You were so desperate to find a flaw in Yugi that you were willing to ridicule him just to convince me that he wasn't a Stu. It's really pathetic, but it's what makes me think of you as being more realistic than most characters, Rebecca." Haga actually smiled slightly at her.

"Eh, what?" Rebecca blinked.

"Well, you're technically a decent character, Rebecca. You act in a realistic or 'human' manner in that you make mistakes, sometimes pathetic and sometimes selfish, in every day dialogue and actions. And others react to it that way. No glorifications or getting off easy with your flaws here." He chuckled.

"Oh…" Rebecca raised an eye brow. "Er, thanks…I think?"

"You're welcome. But, anyway, can you think of any other flaws that Yuugi _actually_ has to deal with?"

"Well…er…" Rebecca was at a loss, but she wouldn't admit it. "Let me think about that…"

"Aha, and that's another thing: If it's _that_ difficult to find a flaw in a character, it's further proof of their Sue-ism! Give up, Rebecca. Yuugi's a Stu." Haga stated triumphantly, grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

"B…B-But, okay, so he has hardly any flaws. But, the plot doesn't just center entirely around _him_ and his awesomeness! It centers on friendship and helping the Pharaoh return to ancient Egypt!" Rebecca pointed out.

"Oh, Rebecca, _Rebecca_…" Haga sighed. "Don't tell me you actually believe that that's what it was really all about. The whole 'bringing the Pharaoh back to Egypt' thing doesn't really even start up until three seasons in! And, the most 'friendship' we ever got was when Anzu went on blathering about how Yuugi's going to win because he has _friends_. Tch! Like friendship really makes a difference. Friends can urge a duelist to keep dueling. They can give cards and hints along the way, but can they really help that duelist draw the cards he needs? Ha! The best they can really do is cheer their friend on until his opponent just gets so irritated at their voices that he concedes defeat just to get them to _shut-up_!" He shook his head with a bitter laugh. Rebecca was frowning at him.

"B-But…But, friends…they…They support each other. And they can give a duelist the strength he needs to win." She said, biting her lip.

"Hmph." Haga scowled. "If that were true, any old shmuck off the streets with a lot of friends could become the King of Games. But, hey, if that's what you think, that's fine. Whatever. I guess friendship, no matter how unnecessary for Duel Monsters, is the central theme."

"Mm-hm!" Rebecca nodded triumphantly.

"…But, still, who do you see winning almost all of the important duels? Yuugi. Sure, Jounouchi gets a small share of duels, but most of the ones _he_ wins are borderline insignificant in comparison. Furthermore, Yuugi's got something like four _destinies_ throughout the series. Even though they all tie into one huge destiny, so much 'specialness' is a sure sign of Sue-ism! The only time Yugi ever lost a duel was when he _meant_ to or when there were some circumstances that interfered. So, in Duel Monsters, he's perfect." Haga twitched and spoke through gritted teeth. "And it _really_ gets on my nerves…"

"I…I guess you're right." Rebecca sighed, remembering when Yuugi forfeited the duel against her, even though he could have won.

"And he's one of the few people Kujaku Mai respects. You, Anzu, and that Vivian Wong girl all have a crush on the guy. He has three close friends who _never_ betray or otherwise wrong him and who all seem to support _him_ more than they do each other…except in Anzu's case, I suppose. She supports everyone. And in Yuugi's past life, he was a _Pharaoh_, of all things. _All_ of his enemies are characterized as selfish, jealous, evil, or otherwise at fault. Yuugi's so perfect that, if it weren't for other peoples' personalities, everyone would love him. And, actually, many of his enemies realize the errors of their ways and reform in the end, without Yuugi ever having to change a thing about himself."

"Gaaah…" Rebecca's eyes were swirling again. But, the swirls shortly disappeared this time and Rebecca let out a ragged sigh. "All right…I get what you mean. So, that's why Yuugi can't hate you or anyone else. Hate's just such a horribly strong negative feeling that someone so perfect can't possibly bare such negativity towards someone who has, in the grand scheme of things, hardly wronged them at all." Seriously. Five cards thrown into the water? Sure, they belonged to Yuugi's grandpa, but so did the rest of Yuugi's deck, really…

"Ah! Now, you're catching on, Rebecca." Haga smiled. "And it's the same with jealousy. Jealousy is a notoriously negative emotion that also indicates a flaw in someone's character, like my own. If the character becomes jealous too easily, then it says something about who they are. So, since Yuugi's too perfect for that, you would never be able to make him jealous of me or anyone else, Rebecca. At least, never in a serious way."

"Ohh…" Rebecca groaned. "So, _that's_ why it wouldn't work! I see what you mean, now."

"Yes…" Haga nodded. "And, besides, Yuugi's already got his sights set on someone. When a Stu has made their decision, they rarely change it. So, you really have no chance, Rebecca."

"Aw, that _sucks_!" She whined, tugging and her hair and shaking her head. "Then, how am I _ever_ going to get his attention?!"

"You can't, Rebecca." Haga sighed. "It's futile. Especially since his only love-interest is almost a Mary-Sue herself. And, unless you some-how turn yourself into a 'Sue, he's not changing his mind. No chance. Give up. Just be friends with him. Find a new guy. That's my advice for you, Rebecca." He said, shaking his head.

"Mmph…B-But…B-b-b-but!" Rebecca was, again, at a loss. "You…is…but he is…but I are…But, you-!"

_Oh, great_, Haga thought. _She's speaking gibberish. Guess I completely crushed her hopes right there, eh? Oops._ But, the insect duelist decided to change the subject by moving on with the analysis.

"Actually, the only non-Sueish thing about Yuugi is that his background isn't tragic in any way shape, or form. But, I suppose that would make him a different Stu from the norm – one with a basically perfect life, with everything going well for him. He has struggles, but conquers them with basically no losses to take responsibility for and, usually, a few more friends by the end of it. So, he still counts as a Stu."

Rebecca nodded slowly. She was getting back into the scheme of things.

"Which brings me to another issue, Rebecca. Mary-Sues and Gary-Stus aren't the only cliché characters out there. There are also Angsty-Sues, whose jobs are to have such horrible lives that they garner sympathy from the audience so that all of their present actions and personality problems are 'justified' and therefore understandable. This is often a sub-content of the Mary-Sue, though usually a character is an 'angsty stu' when they do have flaws, but those flaws are, well…"

"Totally justified." Rebecca finished for him. "Justified and forgiven because of an angsty past. Right?"

"Right. Kaiba's an example, actually. Though not quite as obnoxious about it as I've seen. Also, while his past _does_ justify a lot of the crap he does, the fact that he does a lot of bad things _for his brother_ also helps him snag sympathy, I suppose." Haga continued. "Then, there are the Villain-Sue's, who are evil, but often have a past that 'justifies' their actions. They also usually have secret redeeming qualities that make them 'not as bad as others think'. Furthermore, they tend to effortlessly beat the 'good' characters while other villains fail."

"Like Marik?" Rebecca tilted her head to the side.

"Yup. Like Yami Marik. Is evil at the beginning, but then it turns out he was really just being controlled slightly by Yami Marik. Heck, that guy might even double as an angsty-Stu with the crap he dealt with as a kid! Come to think of it, a lot of Villain-sues can be refered to as Angsty-stus…Heh."

"What about Dartz?" Rebecca chimed in.

"Dartz is yet another example of both an Angsty and a Villain-Sue." Haga smiled weakly, really just wanting to forget about the whole Orichalcos incident. It was really rather embarrassing, when Haga thought about it…Bowing to that Dartz guy and basically sacrificing his soul to win a card game. Even though he'd thought it was just a dream at the time…Really. "And, finally, there are the 'Anti-Sue's. The creators of these characters usually either make a _huge_ attempt at keeping the character from being a 'Mary-Sue' or want to have an enemy for their main character and want the audience to hate the enemy as much as possible. An Anti-Sue or Stu is, as suggested by the Latin term, the anti-thesis of the 'Mary-Sue'. Instead of being glorified with tons of positive traits, the 'Anti-Sue' is covered with so many flaws as to make him or her equally unrealistic."

"Oh! I see what you mean. So, a character becomes just as cliché…but in a negative way so that, instead of being expecting everyone to love the character, the writer expects or even wants everyone to dislike the character! That makes sense." Rebecca said with a smile.

"Yes…" Haga nodded. "Some characteristics of Anti-Sue's include physical unattractiveness, a cruel nature, a lack of positive traits that other characters possess, being mostly disliked by other characters, and a myriad of other bad traits that make the character unappealing. In the end, you get the same problem as you get with a Mary-Sue: A cliché character that does nothing or very little to progress and change over time."

"Woah! So, I guess either extreme is a bad thing, right?"

"Exactly! You're getting this very well, Rebecca. Better than I expected, at least…So, do you get what it's all about, now?" Haga sounded like an accomplished teacher.

"Yup!" Rebecca smiled. "It's clear, now…But, wait a minute! Wouldn't that definition make _you_ an Anti-Stu, Haga?

"Uh, what?" This conversation was going to last a little longer than Haga had expected…

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A/N: Bwaha. Yes, yes. Writhe, my readers. Writhe. A few of your favorite characters have just had the truth told about them. :D Because Haga is cruel like that. Oh, well. One part to go after this one! And, this time, Haga's going to hear the painful truth...about who and what he is. :( Poor guy...


	3. Chapter 3: The Bottom Line

A/N: We left off with our secondary subject Rebecca making the connection that Haga is an Anti-Stu. Let's see what ensues!

NOTE: This part counts as a sort of "closure" for this story. So, there's really not as much Sue explanation. But, enjoy nonetheless!

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Part 3: The Bottom Line

"I don't know what you're talking about, Rebecca."

"Oh, come on!" Rebecca pouted. "You have to admit it, Haga: You're an Anti-Stu!"

"What makes you think that?" Haga bristled, just waiting for the coming insults…

"Because you match the description you gave me _for_ Anti-Sues…So, you are one!"

"What do you…Uh-oh…" Haga recalled how he described an Anti-Sue…Physical unattractiveness, a cruel nature, a lack of positive traits that other characters possess, being mostly disliked by other characters, and a myriad of other bad traits that make the character unappealing…_Sweet Insect Queen,_ Haga thought grimly. _It's really true…But, I can't let Rebecca know that. She'll never let me live it down!_

Rebecca grinned.

"So, am I right? Are you an Anti-Stu?"

"…"

"Oh, come on, Haga! Everyone thinks you're really ugly, even if I don't actually think you look all that bad. And you're really mean. You lost in the first round of Duelist Kingdom. None of the main characters like you. You only ever won one duel in the entire series and that was against someone who's almost an Anti-Stu himself! You like bugs, which are gross to most people…Mainly the audience. Your voice, even if it's sort've cute in the original, is _really_ annoying in the English dub and your laugh's annoying in both versions, though again more so in the dub..."

"Shut up, Rebecca."

"...You look really nerdy, especially in the first season with the bowtie and the jacket and the-"

"SHUT UP!"

"…And the frills, and the butterfly glasses. And you're really short – even shorter than Yuugi. Though I guess that's sort've cute, but it still sort've counts as a flaw. And you even lost to Jounouchi at some point...Even if it I guess it was because he was lucky enough to get a good dice roll. Still counts. What's worse, you-"

"JUST-"

"...You lost to that pink-haired Schroeder guy at Kaiba's second tournament in the _first turn_! And you were even teamed up with Ryuzaki! How pathetic is-"

"Shut-up, _shut-up_, SHUT-UP! _SHUT-UP!!!_ _GOD_!" Filled with rage, Haga stood up and pointed at Rebecca. "You're so _FLIPPIN'_ annoying! Do you _EVER_ SHUT-UP?! NO WONDER Yuugi prefers Anzu! When _she_ blabs for hours, it's at least about something people _like_! But, _you_? JEEZ! I don't know if you do this all the time, but it is not what you'd call 'socially acceptable' to pick someone apart like this in conversation! I even tried to be _nice_ to you! _YOU_! A _stranger_ I met completely randomly! And, now _YOU WON'T SHUT-UP_! And, you know what's funny, _MY GIRL_?! _**YOU**_ are the reason I am an ANTI-STU! It's people like _**YOU**_ who make me this way! People like _**YOU**_ who piss me off so much, I just _HAVE_ to take all this anger out at some point _**OR ELSE I'LL EXPLODE**_!" Haga hyper-ventilated for a few seconds before calming down and finishing, "Like I'm doing…now." Haga blinked. What had he just said? Beads of tears were now crystallizing in Rebecca's eyes behind half-moon spectacles. She was hurt. "Oops." Haga rubbed the back of his neck, and then sighed. What, now?

"I…I…" Rebecca sniffed, eyes wide and shining.

"Agh…" Haga groaned, biting his lip. "Umm…Okay." He sighed. "I guess I am an…" He looked reluctant and he seemed to be trying to keep his voice down when he said this. "…_Anti-Stu_…" It was kind've pointless to be quiet now, Haga thought. He had just shouted the fact at the top of his lungs and now people were staring at him and Rebecca as they walked past.

"I-I'm…" Rebecca sniffed, rubbing her nose with her sleeve.

"Well…" Haga sighed and picked up the book that had recently fallen out of his pocket. "I…I guess I'd better be going…" He turned, the prickles in the back of his mind making him feel the slightest bits of guilt, and began to walk away. His boredom was cured, but it had been replaced by a very strange feeling that felt like a mix of anxiety, guilt and shock at his own actions. It was an unpleasant feeling, but Haga would deal with it in his usual way: Distracting himself with examining insects or with eating ice cream and hoping that the negative feelings would go away.

This never worked for long, but there wasn't much else Haga could do. It wasn't as if he had any friends…

"Wait!" Hearing the familiar voice, Haga turned just in time to find Rebecca clutching his arm. "You…You didn't let me finish." She wiped the tears from her eyes, reaching beneath her glasses, and let out a sigh. "I'm sorry."

For a moment, Haga thought his ears had just malfunctioned.

All his life, Haga had retaliated to mistreatment with dealing back the same mistreatment in equal or greater measure. Or he'd mistreat others and be mistreated in return. All the while, Haga always sensed that his enemy was waiting for an apology. Haga always knew this, and yet something within him felt that the other person should apologize first. Only then would he apologize…_maybe_. Haga had no idea why this instinct existed. But, he had the feeling he wasn't the only one. It seemed that no one would ever apologize first, which meant that they probably expected the same of him as he did of them. And neither he nor the other would give in.

But, Rebecca had done something different.

She, as pre-teens sometimes do, had realized that she'd done something wrong. And, without considering Haga's own cruel actions in return, Rebecca had apologized _first_.

But, now there was a problem: _Now_, what was Haga going to do? What did people usually do in these situations?

"It's…It's all right." Haga, remembering movies where he'd seen other people comforted, turned and tentatively patted Rebecca's head. He wore a weak, but genuine smile. "You're forgiven…And…" _Here goes nothing_, thought Haga. "I…I'm…ssssorrrr…yyyy...too." The word was sandpaper to the inside of Haga's mouth. It had dried up, as if from lack of use. Yet it felt a surprisingly refreshing aftertaste when forced out. And, to Haga's surprise, it seemed to make Rebecca feel better.

"I forgive you, too, Haga. Maybe, you're not as bad as you act!" Rebecca laughed, wiping away the last of the tears from her face to show a smile.

"Eheh…" Haga twitched, unsure of whether to take that as a compliment or an insult. "I…guess I'll take that as a compliment." It was that sweet smile that persuaded him to do so. He sighed, deciding to change the subject. "So, Rebecca, you understand what I mean now? Yuugi can't get jealous."

"Mm-hm!" Rebecca nodded. "So…the whole 'go out with you to get Yuugi jealous' thing would never work. Especially since he doesn't hate you. And the reason for these peculiarities is that he is a Gary-Stu!"

"Precisely! Of course, you can still be friends with him. Though I doubt you'll get the time to hang around him with all of the destiny, duels, other friends, private moments with Anzu, rivals, etcetera. that pervade his very existence…"

"That's okay. I think I'm used to being in the background a lot, now…I don't like it. But, the anime creators obviously meant for me to be a background 'just there for convenience' character, anyway." She sighed and shook her head. "And, as you and I know, those types of characters almost _never_ get to spend time with the main characters. But, that's okay! Because I know I'm a well-developed character who's way smarter than Jounouchi, Honda, and Anzu put together! Just because I may not be better than Anzu doesn't mean that I'm not great in my own way!"

"Actually…" Haga smiled. "I think you _are_ better than Anzu."

"R-…" Rebecca's eyes widened as she looked at Haga. "_Really_?"

"Of course! As a character, Anzu is horrible. She almost always sits on the sidelines and cheers for Yuugi…She won _three_ duels and one was only because Mai forfeited. Another one was against Jounouchi at the very beginning of the series…and you know how bad _he_ was. You, Rebecca, are an excellent duelist…Oh, and you're a heck of a lot smarter than Anzu, too, like you said."

Little did Haga know, this was not exactly what Rebecca was hoping for when Haga said that he thought she was better than Anzu…Rebecca hoped for compliments on her personality, not necessarily on how she was as a character, how she dueled, or how smart she was (she already knew that part)…This was why she was now sighing and sweat-dropping.

"Eh, thanks, Haga." She replied, though. Rebecca was glad he was trying to be nice…She just felt he needed to work on it. A lot.

"You're welcome, Rebecca. I'd have more to say about how stupid Anzu is as a character, but…We'll save that for next time. In the meantime," Haga grinned. "Why don't we get some ice cream? My treat."

"Yippee!" Rebecca cheered. As far as she was concerned, Haga was now forgiven for the weak compliments and for calling her "my girl" at first.

And, with that, the two ice cream-craving duelists ran off into the overly cliché sunset that had burnt through the wispy clouds. Rebecca, for once, didn't care so much that Yuugi had ran off with Anzu to the mall and left Rebecca to her own devices. Haga, in some strange way, seemed to be able to respect and understand her more as a person. So, for now at least, she was content (not even thinking about the fact that she was still clutching Haga's arm). Haga didn't even care that he had completely forgotten about the bus he was suppose to catch to get home and that he was probably going to get an earful from his sister the second he walked through the door late. He just didn't care about any of that at all.

Insector Haga had found his first potential friend.

_END_

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A/N: Well, I hope the few readers I have enjoyed that. ^^ I may, as Haga suggested, write a sequel or two in a while...Something about proper fanfiction (specifically writing characters, well...in character), the wasted air breathed by useless characters, and a bit of a continuation of this with the lesser known "Canon-Sue". :) Well, happy reading and writing, everyone!

Reviews are much appreciated, whether you agree with me or not. :3


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